Sunday, March 22, 2020 - Sermon - Pastor Dorothea Lotze-Kola

2. Timothy 1, 7-10 Dear Congregation, dear Friends, What a crazy time! Many things we just took for granted are suddenly no longer possible. What a shift! No children who are standing in line in the morning to wait for the school bus. No meetings in groups, no eating in restaurants, no visits in our senior citizen homes and no swimming or soccer games anymore. Everything is turned upside down, interrupted and even forbidden. And all of that to protect this world, us humans, from a new virus.

People in Europe have the same experience as people in Asia, as have people in the US. We are all interconnected. There are no walls, no borders, there is only one human family. And this family is in danger. Vulnerably facing life and death situations.

Und so we feel afraid. We have Angst. Especially those among us feel it who already have a tendency to be anxious about things, but even those who usually live in a carefree way: We are all suddenly faced with the same situation. We are all facing the unknown. The future feels suddenly so uncertain and seems rather frightening.

In an atmosphere where everybody around us is anxious, it is often not easy to hear God’s voice among the many voices. When our inner anxious voices become louder every day, it is not easy to discern God’s voice among the many inner voices.

Therefore, the verse 7 from our sermon text today can be a powerful guide to figure out what voice comes from God and what resources we have inside of us that God wants to give us during times like these. My husband and I chose this verse as our wedding verse. It reads: “God has not given us the Spirit of fear, but of strength, of love and of a sound mind.” (2.

Timothy 1: 1-7). At the time we both left our home continents behind to live together on a third continent. We had a sense that we were walking towards times where we would sometimes feel fear or even Angst. Even though both of us are pastors, we are only human beings like everybody else.

Jesus had said to his disciples: “In the world you are afraid”. He knew that being afraid is part of being human. And the apostle Paul knew this as well. He had a younger colleague Timothy who was a rather anxious person; his “belly energy” (if you will) was first of all a feeling of anxiety.

Timothy did believe in Jesus and felt called to help with spreading the message of Jesus, just like Paul was, but he was often hesitant because he felt so anxious. Being a Christian back then was a dangerous thing and could lead to life threatening situations. The apostle Paul had been arrested for speaking up and teaching about Jesus. And so, he was sitting in prison when he wrote this letter to Timothy. It could be that the inner voice of fear had told Timothy to distance himself from Paul in order to not have the enemies spot him and get into danger himself. And so, Paul is writing and calling Timothy (and also us today): “God has not given us the Spirit of fear, but of strength, of love and of a sound mind!”

Paul urges his younger colleague to not listen to his anxious belly voices, but to more so listen to the voice of God’s Spirit within. And this Spirit is the promise of God to fill us with strength, with love and with a sound mind.

First of all, I want to point out the time that Paul mentions: God HAS given us his Spirit. That means we already have the Spirit within us. This gift of God’s Spirit starts right away, in the very beginning. In the moment when I invite God into my life, or when I am being baptized, or when I open my heart to God, the Spirit of God will come to live inside of us.

And so, Paul affirms Timothy and also us: you already have the Spirit of strength, of love and of a sound mind within you as a gift. Some of us have experienced this as a child already, some as adults, and some of us might open our hearts for the first time now in this very crisis for God’s presence and Spirit to enter.

The first thing that happens when we open ourselves to God, is that we are receiving new strength and a greater capacity for love and a sound mind that all can help us overcome our own Spirit of fear. That does not mean that we won’t feel anxious again, but our deep, existential fear about our own life and our own death will be held by this Spirit that God gives. And it is God’s Spirit that pours out a strength that we do not have by ourselves. God’s Spirit opens us up to go beyond ourselves with a love that we could not have produced ourselves, and with a sound mind that gives us roots and a grounding in times when around us and within us there is so much chaos.

And so, Paul encourages Timothy and also us today to have courage and to have self-esteem: “God has given us his Spirit! And God wants to fill us with this Spirit every day again, when we only ask for it! This is what we can hold onto in these times of fear and need!

Paul is writing these encouraging words in his own times of need, as he is being persecuted and imprisoned. I am not sure how you feel, but in some way, I feel that we are being persecuted by a Virus and even though our social isolation, our homes are a great protection, they also at times feel like a prison. And so, Paul’s words that I have thought of many times before in my life, suddenly come closer to my situation than ever before.

Maybe some of us might also have objections: “Fear as an experience is not only negative, isn’t it? It has an important biological function: it increases our alertness, it helps with being ready to act, increases our speed and strengthens our endurance!”

Yes, all of that is true. And yet, fear can also make people panic and lead to a deep sense of Angst. And this panic is what God does not want for us, Paul says, who himself could have had many reasons to panic, as he is writing from prison and his future prospects do not look very rosy.” I hear Paul’s words as saying to us: “Your trust in God will give you courage. You don’t have to fall into panic mode.”

And yet, it is not that we as anxious people suddenly lose all our anxieties when we become followers of Jesus, when we become Christians. An anxious personality will likely keep this anxious belly feelings, even when he or she believes in Jesus. This is how it was for Timothy. And Paul knew

this, and therefore he invited his spiritual son: “Do not get stuck in the voices of anxiety and in feelings of panic! Invite God’s Spirit! Ask for strength, for empathy, for love and for a sound mind, for all of those are already inside of you. Take the first step with courage and in love while listening to the inner voice of God, even when your anxious belly feeling tells you many other things!”

Faith, trusting as Paul invites us to here is not so easy and it needs much practice. Dear congregation, dear friends, during these next weeks and months, we will have much opportunity to practice! A colleague of mine who by nature was a rather anxious person decided to practice trusting God more and to not allow his anxiety to paralyze him. And so, her made a sign for himself on his desk and wrote on it: “Go scared”!

GOD HAS GIVEN US THE SPIRIT OF STRENGTH. God’s Spirit gives us new strength, every day anew. When that happens, we might wake up after sleeping and feel stronger than before, or we return from a walk-in nature and feel much better again. The Spirit of God that gives us strength might come to us in helpful words by friends of neighbors that encourage us to keep going. Or we see the faces of friends on our screens and just seeing them gives us energy and we experience moments of creativity. The Spirit of strength that we carry within us and that we can ask for again and again wants to give us moments of hope as well, where we suddenly are able to see the positive around us as well, and not only the negative that the media often limit themselves to.

GOD HAS GIVEN US THE SPIRIT OF LOVE:

In the person of Jesus, we have been able to see how the Spirit of Love looks like. Jesus knew himself deeply loved by God, and so he passed on this love to all he encountered and it became visible in all he said and did.

In this crisis time, how can God’s Spirit of love be present in and among us? The Spirit of Love opens our eyes and hearts not only for our own family that needs our care and concern, but also for others, neighbors and people far away. The Spirit of Love also cares about the people at the margins of society: “How will this person without a home protect himself?

What does the neighbor need who does not have a family close by? How can I share of that which I have?” (A woman in our neighborhood posted for example that she has too much toilet paper and is happy to share with others who were not able to get some in the stores anymore.)

The Spirit of Love makes us text each other or call each other and “zoom” to remain connected in these isolating times. I notice too that I am seeing the people with whom I usually work and worship suddenly with new eyes.

How much do they mean to me! I really miss them! The Spirit of Love makes us think about each other and pray for each other. We are not alone!

God’s Spirit of Love lets us feel compassion for the nurses and doctors. We feel for the families who have been impacted by the virus already. The Spirit of Love transcends borders, creates solidarity, and stops any judgment. All people in Europe, Asia, and even countries in Africa are going through the same experience of social distancing. The Spirit of Love makes no difference: China, Iran, Nigeria and many more countries are being impacted all over the world. We stop judging, but discover deep solidarity

with each other. The Spirit of love shares resources and shares knowledge.

The Spirit of love researches and works feverishly on an immunization or medication that can combat the virus and keep it from spreading. The Spirit of Love has the wellbeing of all humans in mind, no matter where it began, not matter how it was transmitted. Many do not know that they are carriers of the virus. Love does not know judgment. God’s Spirit of Love works towards everything that brings healing for as many people as possible in all countries impacted, and not only one’s own country.

GOD HAS GIVEN US THE SPIRIT OF A SOUND MIND: The third gift of the Spirit is a sound mind. What does this mean? This means the voice that we hear when we become quiet, it is an inner voice of wisdom we carry deep within and that balances everything while checking out the circumstances, listening to one’s intuition and hearing others’ opinions. To access our sound mind, it is important to listen and have an inner dialogue with God. Questions come up like: “Is my behavior shaped

by God’s Love? Or is my anxiety getting in my way, or my comfort, or am I only listening to human voices? The Spirit of a Sound Mind can also be summarized in this short question: “How would Jesus act or say if he was in my place?”

The Spirit that was in Jesus reflects this sound mind that Pau reminds us of. “As followers of Jesus you have received this same Spirit of a Sound Mind, of Wisdom.” Now listen to it and follow it.

Strength, Love and a Sound Mind, these are all gifts that God’s Spirit fills us with. And therefore, Paul encourages Timothy by saying: “For this

reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.”

“Fan into the flame, the gift of God” – what a beautiful image. And so, I want to encourage us all as well in this time of crisis. It might be that you have been a Christian for a long time. Or you just now remember that you have been baptized or that the hands of blessing have been upon you during your confirmation. Or it can be that you have not thought about God for a long time, or you have never before experienced God’s direct blessings in your life. It does not matter if you ask for the first time how God wants to be present with you during this world wide crisis experience: When you ask God in prayer (and that can happen without the laying on of hands), God promises to send you God’s Spirit. Here and now, today.

During this crisis time and going forward each day of your life. You will receive the Spirit of strength, and of love, and of a Sound Mind. And this Spirit will carry you through into the future and through these times of uncertainty.

Yes, we have anxiety. Yes, we are afraid. That is only human. Jesus has said: (John 16:33 "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world”. And then Jesus left with us his Holy, his Healing Spirit that is among us and is working within us.

And so, dear friends, I want to encourage you today with the words of Jesus who said: (Luke 11:9) “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” This means the Spirit

of Strength, of Love and of a Sound Mind will be given to you every day anew. God knows how much we need those three gifts in our lives during these days, these weeks and months that are ahead of us.

Let us pray: Gracious and loving God, we bring to you our fear of the future, our concerns for our own lives, the lives of our beloved, and the lives of so many people who are already impacted by the virus. Give to us your Healing Spirit of Strength, of Love and of a Sound Mind today, and every day anew. Let humanity support each other. Help us to develop vaccines and medicine as fast as possible so that many people’s lives can be saved.

Protect us, God, and bless us, God. You want to fill us, your creation, with your Spirit. Open our hearts for your Spirit that will fill us with Courage, Strength, Compassion, Love and good decision making, today and every day. Amen